"Keith G" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello all,

I thinking of venturing into the world of hi-fi seperates and I'm
starting by looking for an amplifier. I don't have a great budget for
this, around £150, therefore I have narrowed my choice down to the
following:

Cambridge Audio AZUR 340A
Sony TA-FE370
Marantz PM4001

I can find a bit on the net about the CA amp but not much about the
others.

So what I was wondering is if there is much to choose from these
models, or at this price range am I likely to find that they are all
much of a muchness?



There are those here who will tell you they will all sound the same. I
don't *know* that, but I suspect they will - worry about your speakers
more and match the best amp to them you can. Speaker/amp pairings in
*your* room are the secret to success, AFAIAC....

Keith's advice is the same as mine (and I am one of those who will tell you
that they will probably sound so close as not to be worth worrying about).
Buy the 'speakers that you like the sound of first, then find a suitable amp
to drive them with. As to the three you mentioned, I would avoid the Sony,
for no better reason than their after-sales support is dreadful, and if you
need a repair, you may be waiting weeks for it.

S.